Our group started the day at the BSM Maritime Training Center in Limassol. Through a brief presentation with our guide–a former Chief Engineer and current Training Instructor–and our exploration of the training facilities, we were able to learn about the process to become an eligible seafarer. Their facility is equipped with several rooms for simulation-based training, and their proximity to the Marina allows for their hands-on training. While BSM does not offer “start from zero” training (meaning you must have some prior experience before attending their academy), they offer training to get the STCW certificate and to learn more beyond the certificate in order to promote an even safer environment aboard the ships. We heavily discussed BSM’s ability to independently operate in so many respects as they have ships intended for cargo to cruises to offshore maintenance, and they have an expansive network of on-land workers who run their travel agency, crew-hiring procedures, training, etc. Our guide offered a great depth of insight to the many aspects of ship management that are often left unakwnoledged.

Following BSM, we took a bus ride to visit our second company of the day: Colombia Group. Colombia Group is another ship management company that has a similar model to BSM in that they manage ships from cargo to cruise to offshore and run their own finance operations, oversea shipbuilding, and much more beyond just manning ships. When asked why Colombia offered better prospects than other options, one of the presenters offered a rather unique answer. He told us that it is because of the culture and vibrance of Colombia that clients choose to work with them, and he explained this by saying how Colombia has company colors, previously sponsored a Cypriot soccer team, and owns restaurants as well. I found this to be a rather interesting and incredibly convincing response as it really is a way they can stand out when their competitors are truly able to offer very similar services. Besides their formal presentation, we were also taken to a control room where three employees were monitoring the Colombia fleet on large screens and were communicating with them when necessary. I took particular interest in the emission-conscious zones that were marked on the large maps, and it was explained to us that upon entering such a zone, one of the employees would contact the ship to inform them, and the ship would then adjust their fuel to better accommodate the requirements in the region.

Our final site visit for the day was Medochemie, a pharmaceutical company with the goal of providing affordable resources to all humans. We focused on the process they go through to bring a new product to market, and this starts with the proposal of such a product from their demand forecasting. Currently, their demand forecasting does not rely on any automated software and instead is based on the experience and knowledge of the employees. Following the decision to pursue a new product, they acquire the raw materials for the active ingredients, choose the formula of inactive ingredients that will allow for the ease of use, and begin the testing period. The testing period lasts 5-6 years and requires a comparison of their product to a placebo and the brand name or generic product. I talked with one of the employees about the regulatory process for selling these medications outside of the EU, and was surprised to find that broadening the scope of a product to more countries often does not require additional testing. The EU and FDA have a joint agreement that, at least for the products Medochemie outputs, if it is approved in the EU, it is approved in the US by proxy. This is not the case for China, however, and to distribute something there, there are typically more required steps.